It is known that loading areas e.g. cargo bays or passenger areas of aircrafts must frequently be converted for different uses. For example depending on the use of the aircraft it may be necessary for seats for passengers to be fitted in the aircraft cargo bay. In another application for example the passenger space may be needed exclusively to contain freight. Some aircraft, in particular military aircraft, have only one loading area which can be used for loading passengers and/or freight. For optimum use of the aircraft loading areas, seat rails are mounted which allow the seats to be installed quickly and easily and to change their position. It is known to use these seat rails also as an anchoring base for locking elements or other function elements (e.g. roller elements, fixing eyes etc.). The function elements used have suitable fixing mechanisms for anchoring in the seat rails.
The fixing mechanism provided must be robust and suitable for transferring heavy loads to the aircraft floor. Fitting the function element must be quick and easy.
Corresponding function elements which can be attached to a seat rail or perforated rail are known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,262,588. Amongst others a roller element is described which can be mounted in a seat rail. For fixing, several mushroom-shaped elements are installed via holes in the seat rails and the function element is moved such that the mushroom-shaped elements come to lie in a position between two adjacent holes in which removal of the function direction in the z direction is not possible since this is held by extensions of the elements between the holes. To fix the function element in this holding position, fixing pegs are provided which can be lowered parallel to the mushroom-shaped elements and engage in a hole in the seat rail. As soon as the fixing pegs are lowered, the function element can no longer be moved in the x direction. Because of the mushroom-shaped elements and fixing pegs, the function element is held in the seat rail.
Mounting of the function elements described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,262,588 often proves complex as it is difficult to install the mushroom-shaped elements in the individual holes of the seat rails. Also on removal of the function element, frequently the fixing mechanism seizes so that here increased care must be applied. Furthermore the function element described has numerous mechanical components which, under the careless handling normally applied in the loading area, must often be replaced. Sometimes whole function elements must be changed as the associated fixing mechanism is faulty. Also production of the fixing mechanism is complex and costly.
Some embodiments of the invention, provide a function element for fixing in a seat rail which is robust, easy to install and manufacture, and guarantees secure anchoring of the function element in the seat rail. Furthermore a corresponding method is provided for production of the function element.